Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Takaya Yakitori Izakaya (Costa Mesa, CA)

A meet-up with an old college roommate of mine called for a casual spot in the Costa Mesa area, and after perusing a few options online, we both settled on Takaya. The restaurant is apparently an offshoot of an izakaya first established in Tokyo in 1980. It opened Stateside here in July 2012 (in the old Hana No Ki space), though from what I understand, new ownership took over in May 2013.

Takaya's menu is fairly extensive, with lots of izakaya-appropriate dishes on offer, headlined of course by the yakitori/kushiyaki selection. Click for larger versions.

Tail [$2.50] | salt
Another favorite was the bonjiri, one of the most richly flavored cuts and delightfully textured, a combination of fatty and firm consistencies.

Meatball [$2.50] | sauceTsukune were homey and sweet, and quite the crowd pleaser.

Sausage 4pc [$3.50]
Snappy and juicy, these guys were almost reminiscent of Lit'l Smokies.

Asparagus [$2.00] | salt
Asparagus showed off its trademark bitterness and crunch, though I wanted more char.

Gizzard [$2.50] | saltSunagimo arrived crunchy and grainy as expected, with a nice hit of salt.

Orange Roll [$8.95] | salmon on California roll
I normally eschew rolls, especially at an izakaya, but one of my dining companions insisted that we get this. It's basically your typical California roll, but with the addition of salmon.

Okra [$2.00] | salt
I thoroughly enjoyed the okra, which had a great crunch and smoke, and just enough of that mucilaginous character.

Wing (3pc) [$3.50] | saltTebasaki was another highlight--super juicy and savory, with a fantastic char.

Gizzard Skin [$2.50] | salt
Last up was the ginkawa, chewier than the standard gizzard, but also more flavorful.

Kinako (Soy Bean Flour) Mochi with Vanilla Ice Cream [$4.95]
Time for a lone dessert. I was a fan of the sweet-nutty kinako powder and how that paired with the ice cream. The mochi, however, was quite a bit tougher than I'd like (lots of chewing was required to get through it).

This was sort of an impromptu meal, but I was generally pleased with Takaya. It's doesn't reach the levels of a Kokekokko VIP, but was still very tasty throughout. A solid choice if you're in the area.